Notes from the studio
Projects, techniques, and the confidence to make a first piece your own.
Journal
September 8, 2026
Kiln Repair
Replace elements, patch bricks, and swap thermocouples yourself. Know the line where a qualified electrician must take over to keep your home studio safe and code-compliant.
Read the articleSeptember 7, 2026
Pottery Trimming
Learn how leather-hard clay should feel before pottery trimming, how to make a repeatable readiness test, and what to do when a foot or wall is trimmed too far.
Read the articleSeptember 7, 2026
Pottery Trimming Tools
Choose pottery trimming tools by the job they perform, then narrow your set to three useful shapes and test whether the edges will last.
Read the articleSeptember 6, 2026
Best Pottery Trimming Tools
Find the best pottery trimming tools by comparing steel, edge geometry, shaft flex, handle comfort, and the forms you trim most often.
Read the articleSeptember 5, 2026
Centering Clay On The Wheel
Treat centering as a physical setup problem. Stable brace points, steady pressure, appropriate wheel speed, and restrained water use make wobble easier to diagnose.
Read the articleSeptember 4, 2026
Wheel Throwing For Beginners
A session-by-session map of the first six weeks at the pottery wheel: what you should expect to fail at, what real progress looks like, and when most beginners quit too early.
Read the articleSeptember 4, 2026
Pottery Tools For Beginners
A practical pottery starter kit with the hand tools you will use, the tools you can postpone, and a simple test for buying less.
Read the articleSeptember 3, 2026
Electric Kiln Ventilation
Choose a practical ventilation approach for an electric pottery kiln by comparing placement, downdraft and hood systems, duct routing, airflow, and installation requirements.
Read the articleSeptember 2, 2026
Kiln Firing Schedule
Build a repeatable, adjustable kiln firing schedule around clay thickness, kiln controls, and glaze maturity. Use witness cones and test tiles to evaluate each firing and plan the next change.
Read the article